The recent outright termination of the contract with TEC Engineering Nig Ltd, the contractor handling the rehabilitation of Niger Street road project in Onitsha by Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been described as a wlcome development that will keep contractors in the state on their toes to deliver on the jobs given to them.
This was the opinion of some respondents who TNC correspondent in Anambra spoke with on the development which happened earlier this week.
The governor was on an inspection visit to the 2.17km Niger street road Fegge with a 1.1km flood control channel contract, when he discovered that the contractor was not delivering according to the timelines and agreement reached before the contract was awarded
He accused the contractors, of negligence and lack of capacity to deliver the job, announcing outrightly, that another contractor will be engaged to execute the job.
Responding to the governor’s action, the Civil Liberties Organization, CLO in the State hailed him for paying impromptu visits to some on going projects in the state for on the spot assessment and verification of true situation of things and get feedback from citizens to ensure improved service delivery and sustainable development.
The Chairman of the Group, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme described the action as a step in the right direction, that will certainly promote prudent management of meagre resources of the state and prioritize citizens’ welfare, wellbeing and interest.
The CLO, which had earlier lamented poor execution of Niger street and some road projects in the state, commended the governor for his courage and political will to do the needful to ensure in words and actions that Anambra people’s money is judiciously deployed for public good.
“You have rekindled people’s confidence, trust and hope in your administration as termination of the contract is a clear indication that the contract was transparently and prudently awarded.
“This your action has demonstrated your great disdain for kickbacks, having kicked out the unprepared and under-performing contractor.
“This will also send a signal to other contractors that it is no longer business as usual as public funds must be used for public good,” he said.
Ezekwueme said it is also important that the governor sustains such impromptu visits to other government contracts, agencies, schools,markets, hospitals and parks, so as to see the true pathetic and despicable situation of things in the state.
He said; “It is important also that Mr Governor sets up the Projects Implementation, Monitoring and Verification Committee that will be made up of people with impeccable character and integrity that will give him honest feedback and citizens expectations, not those who will tell him what he wants to hear.”
Also commenting on the development, the National coordinator of APGA Media Warriors Forum, Evangelist Chinedu Obigwe, said Governor Soludo has used the termination of the contractor’s job to demonstrate once again that he matches his words with action, insisting that he is not joking with the State of emergency he declared on Anambra roads.
Describing the strategy of paying unscheduled inspection visit to road project sites as commendable, Obigwe insisted that Governor Soludo is not among those that soil their hands with the collection of kickbacks and that was why he used the contractor to set example in Anambra.
“If he gives you contract to do, stick to your terms of agreement with him because on his own part he will do the same.
“Governor Soludo is truly setting an example for others to follow, as he does not tolerate waste of time because for him, every time counts and must be used to actualize meaningful results.
“He did not only stop at the termination of the Niger Street Onitsha road project contract but also told the contractor to get ready to make refunds of the money that is supposed to be refunded to the State.
“He further promised to re-award the project to another competent contractor that will do a quality job and deliver the project on the agreed time for the project completion.
“Contractors in Anambra now know that it is no longer business as usual,” he concluded.
